{"id":8643,"date":"2026-06-07T19:40:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T23:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/spark\/?page_id=8643"},"modified":"2026-06-07T22:38:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T02:38:44","slug":"bu-spark-hackathons","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/spark\/events\/bu-spark-hackathons\/","title":{"rendered":"BU Spark! Hackathons"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BU Spark! \u00b7 Hackathons<\/div>\n
Build tech that matters.<\/span><\/div>\n

Two flagship hackathons where students build real solutions to real problems across every discipline.<\/p>\n

Which one fits you? \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Each year, BU Spark! hosts two flagship hackathons<\/b> that bring students, researchers, industry partners, and community organizations together to build technology for real-world challenges. Both emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration, responsible innovation, and hands-on learning \u2014 but they serve different audiences and goals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Which hackathon is your hackathon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nDS+X \u00b7 Fall<\/th>\nCivicHacks \u00b7 Spring<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Who can join<\/td>\nBU students only<\/td>\nOpen nationwide<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Best for<\/td>\nAll majors & experience levels \u2014 beginners welcome<\/td>\nStudents comfortable building end-to-end<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The vibe<\/td>\nExplore & experiment<\/td>\nSolve real problems for real partners<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
You build<\/td>\nYour own idea \u2014 any \u201cX\u201d<\/td>\nSponsor-defined civic challenges<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Support<\/td>\nWorkshops, mentors, guided ideation<\/td>\nReal datasets, sponsors, domain experts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Format<\/td>\nInterdisciplinary & learning-first<\/td>\nChallenge-driven & production-style<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

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Fall \u00b7 Boston University only<\/div>\n

DS+X \u2014 Data Science + your \u201cX\u201d<\/h2>\n

Whether your \u201cX\u201d is art, health, public policy, education, climate, finance, or music, DS+X invites students from every major and experience level to explore how data science and AI intersect with what they love. Teams get support through workshops, mentors, and guided ideation. The goal isn\u2019t a perfect product \u2014 it\u2019s to experiment, learn, and collaborate across fields.<\/p>\n

Teams have built:<\/p>\n